Error: "Reconnect To..." When Attempting to Refresh a Published Data Source Using Refresh from Source Option

Published: 01 Mar 2017Last Modified Date: 20 Dec 2017

Issue

When using the Refresh from Source option in Tableau Desktop (which has worked for the same workbook and data source in the past), the data does not refresh and a error message similar to the following occurs:

"Reconnect to [odd string of characters]?"

Environment

Tableau Online 10.1.5

Windows 7

MS SQL Server

Resolution

Connect from Tableau Desktop to the data source and refresh the local copy.

Right-click the published data source that failed to refresh and select "Create Local Copy".

Right-click on the newly created local extract, go to "Extract" and select "Refresh".

Check to see if the extract is refreshed.

Note:If the local copy of the extract fails to refresh, the issue exists between Tableau Desktop and the database; not with Tableau Bridge (Sync Client) or Tableau Online.

After the local copy was refreshed in Tableau Desktop, refresh the data source in Tableau Online.

If steps 2 did not resolve the issue, then re-publish the data source to Tableau Online.

Cause

Once a connection is re-established in Tableau Online to the database, using the Refresh from Source option may work again in Tableau Desktop. The Refresh from Source command is functional only for extracts that include a connection to the original data source.

Additional Information

The Refresh from Source option is available only for extracts that include a connection to the original data source. If you connected directly to a Tableau Data Extract file (.tde) and then published it, the connection to the original data source is not included.
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